A Push in the Right Direction
by sbmcneil
Summary: Harry and Ginny are very much in love, but Harry is not the most romantic boyfriend. Can Ginny help him out with a push in the right direction? Written for SIYE Seven word Challenge.


**Sunday, July 17, 2000**

Ginny leaned up against her favourite tree at the Burrow reading one of her favourite romance novels. She loved playing Quidditch and her first year with the Harpies had been amazing, but she was glad to be off for the summer.

She looked up as a shadow blocked her sunlight.

"Hermione!" Ginny jumped up and hugged her best friend. "I didn't think you would be able to make it until tomorrow." Hermione laughed as she returned the hug.

"I couldn't wait to see you. It's been forever since we've been able to spend any time together."

The two friends settled down on the blanket Hermione conjured and Hermione told Ginny all about her job at the Ministry in the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.

"So do you get to see Ron much?" Ginny asked. Hermione made a face.

"Not as much as I would like. He's always so busy at the shop helping George. I do get to see Harry quite a bit." Ginny smiled at the mention of her boyfriend of the past two years.

"That I know. I swear if I have to read another article about the two of you having lunch together..."

Hermione sat up quickly.

"Ginny, you know that Harry is one of my best friends and more like a brother to me than anything else."

"Hermione, you should see the look on your face. I know that you two are just friends, but…sometimes I wish I could just have lunch with him, or …I don't know." Ginny laughed.

"What's wrong? You and Harry aren't having… problems, are you?" Hermione asked worriedly. She couldn't imagine a couple more perfect for each other than Harry and Ginny.

"Oh no," Ginny hastened to reassure Hermione. "I just wish sometimes Harry was… I don't know a little more romantic."

"Harry, romantic? I really can't see those two words going hand in hand." Hermione laughed.

"Why not?" Ginny shot her friend an annoyed look.

"Well, he's…he's Harry. He doesn't think like that. I mean he's sweet and noble and he tries, but he is not romantic," Hermione replied. "I mean, what do you bet he'll get you something Quidditch related for your birthday?"

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Ginny took one last look in the mirror before heading downstairs. She had dressed with extra care for her date with Harry, wearing a green tank top and white Capri pants. She'd taken the time to curl her hair and even put on a little makeup, something she normally didn't do.

George looked up as she entered the kitchen. "Wow. You look nice."

Giving her brother a strange look, she replied, "Thanks, George."

"Going out with Harry?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yeah, can you remind Mum for me? I told her yesterday I was going out with Harry, but she may have forgotten."

With a quick hug for her brother, Ginny Apparated to the Apparition point Harry had set up near his flat. Harry had quickly learned after the war that he was much safer in Muggle London than Magical London. He lived in a large flat in a converted 18th century mansion. There were only three other flats in the building so Harry had a lot of privacy. He had set up an Apparition point inside the courtyard at the building.

Ginny knocked on the door and waited for Harry to answer. She was just considering knocking again when Harry opened the door. His still wet hair and lack of a shirt showed that he had just gotten out of the shower.

"I'm sorry. I'm running a little late," he said as she entered the flat. "Dawlish kept us forever."

Harry stared at her for a moment and blushed before saying, "I…I'll be right back."

Ginny shook her head. Harry was not very good at giving compliments. He often stared at her and she could tell he liked the way she looked, but he rarely complimented her. She often wondered if it was because of his upbringing. She knew his relatives were not nice people.

She wandered around his living room while she waited for him. As the only magical person in the building, Harry was able to use Muggle electronics. He had a lot of Muggle electronics that Ginny did not understand and quite frankly they intimidated her.

In addition to the wall of electronics, Harry had pictures scattered throughout the room. Ginny picked up one of her favourite pictures. It was one of the two of them that had been taken at the Burrow last summer. Harry came back into the living room.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

____________________________________________________________________

Harry kept looking over at Ginny as they walked back to his flat. He could tell she had something on her mind. The wizard was actually starting to get a little worried.

As they entered his flat, Ginny turned to Harry. "Harry, can ask you something?"

Harry nodded nervously as they sat down in his living room.

"Sure."

Ginny was starting to look a little nervous herself. "I was talking to Hermione about…our relationship…and…" Ginny trailed off, gathering her thoughts. Harry felt like throwing up.

"Are you breaking up with me?" He whispered

She looked up at him, startled. "What? No. No, I'm not breaking up with you. I love you."

Ginny scooted closer to him. She could see the fear in his eyes as well as a few tears. What had she started? Wrapping her arms around him, Ginny kissed him gently.

"No, I love you so much. I just…I want us to be able to have the…best relationship possible," Ginny said.

"Okay," Harry responded quietly.

"I was reading one of my romance novels the other day and I was hoping that next week when you take your vacation…we could," Ginny smiled. "Harry, stop looking so worried. I thought it would be fun if we could pick a new word each day to act out."

Harry let out the breath he hadn't even realized he was holding. "Oh, okay. What kind of words are you talking about?"

"I want it to be a surprise," Ginny said as she ran her thumb over his hand. "Is that okay?"

Harry sank back into the sofa, keeping a tight grip on her hand. "You're sure you are not trying to break up with me?"

The young witch kissed him.

"Of course not. Why would you even think that?"

"I just keep thinking you'll realize that you deserve a lot better than me," Harry answered quietly. "I mean you are so…amazing. You are smart, funny, beautiful and sexy. You could have anyone in the world that you want."

Ginny stared at him, tears forming in her eyes. "You really think that about me?"

Harry nodded as he wiped his eyes.

"Don't you understand how amazing you are?" she asked. "With everything that you have gone through, you are still the same. You are always so willing to help anyone. You are thoughtful and loyal to all of your friends. You are so selfless."

Harry pulled her onto his lap and buried his face in her neck.

"So you don't want…I just…" He started again. "When I was little, my aunt would always tell me that no one would ever love me because I was a freak. In some ways, I still feel that way sometimes."

Ginny tugged gently on his hair until she could see his face. "Your aunt was wrong. I love you very, very much. I didn't start this to upset you. I just want our relationship to be the best it can be."

Harry kissed her softly. "I'd like that. I know that I could be more romantic or whatever. If you think this will help, I'm willing to do it."

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**Sunday, July 24, 2000**

"So the word for today is beauty," Ginny told Harry over breakfast.

Harry flushed, but looked back at her. "I think you have that part down."

Ginny started. Did Harry really just compliment her?

"What do you mean?"

Harry looked down, but answered, "You are always beautiful, but today…Ginny, you look amazing."

Ginny smiled. She had taken extra care in dressing this morning. She was wearing a yellow and white sundress with gold sandals.

"Thank you. I was thinking of a more general appreciation of beauty, though."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

Ginny bit her lip while she tried to decide what to say. She had come up with all sorts of explanations in planning for today, but now that she was here, she wasn't sure how to phrase it. She reached out for Harry's hand. "I just think that you have seen so much of the…bad part of life. You spent years with those horrible Muggles and then years fighting off Voldemort and now you fight Dark wizards for a living. I want to spend today showing you the beauty in life."

Harry studied her face while he considered her words.

"I guess I do tend to focus on the dark and ugly side of life." He smiled at her. "Okay, so what are we doing today?"

"We are going someplace beautiful, of course. I have a Portkey that will be ready to leave in 10 minutes." She smiled and hugged him.

"Do I need to change?" Harry asked. Ginny looked him over. He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt.

"How about that steel grey shirt my mum got you for Christmas?" she suggested.

Ten minutes later, Harry was appropriately attired and he and Ginny grabbed the Portkey. Harry landed on his feet. Surprised that he'd managed that, he straightened up and looked around. They were standing in a small non-descript building that seemed to consist of a large room with a door leading to the outside.

"Where are we?" he asked Ginny.

"Versailles," she replied.

"In France?" She laughed at his incredulity.

"Yes, the gardens here are supposed to be beautiful and I wanted to explore them with you." Ginny took his hand and led him out into what appeared to be a large car park. Harry followed in a rather bemused way as Ginny led him to the ticket counter. As they approached, Ginny whispered to Harry. "I don't understand Muggle money. Fleur told me this was what I needed."

Ginny held out a stack of money that Harry quickly pocketed.

"How about I be in charge of the Muggle money?" Harry quickly stepped up and purchased tickets to allow them into the palace and the grounds. Once inside, Harry looked at Ginny. "Do you know where you want to go first?"

Ginny shook her head. "No, let's just explore."

Harry smiled down at her as she took his hand and together they explored the palace at Versailles. Harry laughed at Ginny's astonishment over the audio tour. The two of them marveled at the beauty of the Hall of Mirrors and the sheer extravagance of both the King and the Queen's Grand apartments. As neither of them were well versed in Muggle history, they got a little lost in the Museum of French History. Harry remembered some history from primary school, but Ginny had never been exposed to Muggle history.

It was just after noon when they emerged from the castle. Harry led the way across the courtyard to the café. As they sat and had lunch, Harry marveled at his girlfriend. "Gin, this is amazing. I am so glad we came. Not just…it's great to spend time with you and just…have fun."

Ginny beamed. "Good, that is what I was hoping for."

"But I still think you are the most beautiful thing here," he added, colouring slightly.

Ginny responded with a blush. "Really? You think I'm that beautiful?"

Harry looked astonished. "Of course." He leaned towards her as he continued, "I know I'm bad at compliments, but I thought you knew how beautiful I think you are."

"You've never really said that before. I mean I know sometimes you think I look nice, but you've never really said so," Ginny responded, shaking her head.

"I've never told you how beautiful you are? Gin, I…all you have to do is walk in the room and…I could get lost staring in your eyes forever. And your hair," Harry looked at her horrified before reaching out and running his hand through her hair. "Your hair is so beautiful. It is red and gold and all kinds of colours. I don't even know what they are."

"How come you've never said anything before?" Ginny smiled at him with tears in her eyes.

Harry blushed and looked down at the table before looking back up in her eyes.

"I guess I…I'm not very good at compliments for one thing. What I plan to say never comes out like I plan it and it sounds rather stupid. I'm so sorry, Gin. I really didn't realize I've never told you…" Harry trailed off. "When you first told me what today's word was, I did mean what I said. You do have beauty down, but…not just…it's not just that you are incredibly beautiful and sexy. You are…so kind and good. The way you always stuck up for Luna when people were making fun of her or doing the right thing like helping with the D.A."

Ginny leaned over and kissed him. Harry pulled her into his arms and whispered into her hair. "I'll try to do a better job of letting you know how much you mean to me."

Ginny held on for a few minutes before wiping the tears from her eyes. Harry looked down at her anxiously. "Those are good tears, right?"

"Yes, these are good tears." Ginny laughed. She stood and held out her hand. "Let's go explore this garden."

____________________________________________________________

**Monday, July 25, 2000**

George looked up when Ginny came down to breakfast. "You certainly look happy."

Ginny smiled at him as she grabbed a piece of toast off the stack. "I am."

"That's all you're going to say?" George inquired.

"I think so." Ginny laughed. Waving goodbye to George, she Apparated to Harry's flat.

"Good morning, beautiful," Harry greeted her as he opened the door. Ginny ran her hand up his arm and kissed him. "Good morning, love."

Harry smiled down at her appreciatively. She was wearing denim shorts and a yellow t-shirt.

"I was just eating breakfast. Would you like to join me?" he asked. Ginny nodded and sat down at his table. Harry resumed his seat and poured her some pumpkin juice. He Summoned some toast and jam from the counter. "Raspberry jam, your favourite."

"You know my favourite jam?" Ginny smiled as Harry nodded.

"I may be a little slow, but I have been eating breakfast with you for almost 10 years. I pay attention."

"So what's my favourite lunch?" Ginny giggled.

"At the Burrow, your mum's bacon sandwiches. At Hogwarts, you used to have a chicken sandwich or salad," Harry answered.

Ginny's jaw dropped in astonishment. "You really do pay attention."

"Are you kidding? My sixth year, I think, all I did was watch you," Harry said with a laugh.

Ginny smiled as she ate her breakfast. After they finished, Ginny asked Harry, "What did you plan on doing on your vacation before I took over?"

Harry Banished the dishes to the sink and watched as they started washing themselves before answering. "I was hoping to spend a lot of time with you, spend some time with Teddy, and…I was hoping you would help me with my flat."

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked intrigued.

"Well, I've been in this flat for what almost a year and a half. Except for the kitchen, I haven't done any painting or anything. I was hoping you would help me pick out some colours and maybe help me paint. I'm sure there's a painting charm I don't know about," Harry said shyly.

"You want me to help you with your flat?" Ginny asked in astonishment.

Harry nodded. "Well, I am hoping that…one day you will be living here with me. So I want it to be something you'll like as well."

Ginny swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. "You…you see us together here?"

"Yes, I…I want to marry you someday. I…I probably shouldn't have said that, but I love you and…I never really imagined my life with anyone else." Harry responded, blushing.

Ginny threw her arms around him. "I love you, too. I want to marry you someday, too."

Harry smiled into her hair as he drew her closer. Ginny's plans for this week might work perfectly with his plans for his birthday. Ginny pulled back and Harry kissed her gently, running his hands through her hair. This kept them happily occupied for some time. They somehow ended up on his couch wrapped in each other's arms.

With an effort, Harry asked, "What is the word for today?"

"Affection," Ginny answered with a smile. Harry laughed.

"We definitely have a good start on that." He pulled back so he could see her face properly. "Why did you pick affection?" Ginny looked into his eyes.

"Sometimes you have trouble showing affection. I've seen you reach out as though you want to touch me, but then you pull back. Almost every time we hold hands, I reach out to you. You seem reluctant to…initiate intimacy."

Harry blushed before responding, "I…I do. I guess I just don't have much practice and…I don't always know if I should." Ginny put her hand on his cheek.

"When you were little, did your relatives ever hug you?"

Harry snorted. "My relatives, no. The only time they touched me was to punish me. The first hug I remember is from your mum."

"My mum?" Ginny blinked back tears at his matter of fact statement.

"Yeah, after… the Chamber of Secrets when we went into Professor McGonagall's office," he said. He hesitantly reached out and ran his hand up her arm. "It's not that I don't want to hold your hand or touch you. I'm just never sure if I should. I…I never really had anyone to ask about girls or…I mean my closest friends are your brothers. They aren't exactly going to talk to me about girls." Harry blushed and subsided into silence. Ginny ran her hand through his hair.

"You need to trust yourself a little more. Anytime you want to hold my hand, feel free. As for the rest of it, just do what you want. If it's not okay, I'll tell you." Harry pulled her back into his arms.

"I'm not a very good boyfriend, am I?"

"No, love, you are a great boyfriend. You always treat me with respect. You never act like I can't do something because I'm a girl. My teammates were all talking about how they had a hard time because the guys they dated didn't like them playing Quidditch. You've never been anything but supportive of my hopes and dreams. We can talk about anything. I never get bored with you. This stuff we're doing this week is…I just think we can have even a better relationship. Not because you aren't a good boyfriend," Ginny reassured him.

Harry searched her eyes and saw her love for him shining in her eyes. "Just don't doubt that I love you, very much. I want…I want to have the best relationship possible." He leaned over and kissed her. Sometime later, Harry pulled away. "As much as I'd rather do this all day, you had something planned, didn't you?"

"Not exactly. I thought that we could just spend the day together doing something you want to do, but working on showing affection." Ginny responded, laughing.

"In that case, do you want to go down to Diagon Alley and help me pick out some paint?" Harry asked.

_________________________________________________________________

Harry walked down Diagon Alley holding Ginny's hand. They had spent a good hour in the paint store picking out colouring and learning the Painting Charm. He had sent the paint ahead to his flat and he and Ginny decided to eat lunch at the new restaurant on Diagon Alley.

When they reached the restaurant, Harry placed his hand on Ginny's back and guided her to their table. Ginny smiled up at him. She really couldn't believe how affectionate he was being. He'd held her hand most of the time, plus he'd been touching her arm or hair.

Over a lunch of fish and chips, Harry and Ginny mapped out what they wanted to do to his apartment. As they got up to leave, Harry turned to Ginny. "I'm having a great time this week."

Ginny smiled and Harry leaned down and kissed her before they Apparated back to his flat.

_____________________________________________________________________

Harry stepped back and looked at his living room. "It looks great, love."

Ginny smiled. He'd never called her love before.

"It's amazing," she replied.

They had managed to paint the living room, dining room and Harry's room.

Harry nodded. "This was so much easier than when I had to paint my relative's house. I had to do all of the downstairs. It took me easily a week. Plus it was all beige, four different shades of beige."

Ginny laughed. "Is that why you picked such cool colours?"

"Yeah, I used to dream about what kind of house I would have when I grew up and I swore I wouldn't have any beige anywhere," Harry replied.

Ginny pulled the tie out of her hair and leaned back against Harry.

"Gin?"

"Yeah," Ginny said.

"Can I…Can I brush your hair?" Harry asked. Ginny froze.

"You want to brush my hair?"

Harry blushed. "Is that bad?"

Ginny wordlessly Summoned Harry's hairbrush from his room and handed it to him. Harry smiled as he settled down on the couch, brushing Ginny's beautiful hair.

_____________________________________________________________________

**Tuesday, June 26, 2000**

Harry arrived at the Burrow the next morning in time for breakfast. He smiled as Ginny came down the stairs. "Good morning, love."

Ginny smiled sleepily as Harry leaned over and kissed her. That woke her up right away. Harry normally never kissed her in front of her family. George and Ron glared at him, but Harry ignored them as he sat next to Ginny. Mrs. Weasley smiled as she placed a platter of sausages on the table. George made a choking sound as he picked up the Daily Prophet.

"Oi! Potter! Why is there a picture of you snogging my sister on the front page of the paper?"

"What?" Harry and Ginny both grabbed for the paper. Sure enough, there was a picture of Harry and Ginny on the front page of the paper. Harry smiled as he watched his picture self cup Ginny's cheek in his hand and lean down to kiss her. The headline screamed**: POTTER IN LOVE?**

"I don't know. Maybe it was a slow news day." Harry laughed.

"I don't think that's what he meant, Harry," Ron said, glaring at the picture.

Ignoring her brothers, Ginny turned to Harry. "Are we going to see Teddy today?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I thought that would fit in with 'fun'. I told Andi we'd be there at 9am."

Waving to her astonished brothers, Harry and Ginny left for Andromeda Tonks's house.

_____________________________________________________________________

Harry knelt down and held out his arms and his godson Teddy ran into his arms. The older wizard picked up Teddy and cuddled him into his chest. "Hey, buddy."

Teddy squealed and wrapped himself around Harry, his hair changing to shaggy black like his godfather's. Andromeda exchanged a smile with Ginny as she watched her grandson babbling on to his godfather about his week. Harry was so good with Teddy. She cleared her throat and Harry looked up.

"So what are you three doing today?" Harry smiled in response.

"We're going in London to the Aquarium. Teddy loves fish as you know so I thought he'd like to go to the Aquarium."

"He'll have a great time." Andromeda laughed. She kissed her grandson goodbye and looked sternly up at Harry. "Now you will not spend a lot of money on him, Harry."

"Would I do that?" Harry replied with a laugh.

Harry guided both Teddy and Ginny on the Tube to the Westminster exit. As they walked across the bridge, Harry and Ginny were each holding one of Teddy's hands. Before they got to the Aquarium, Harry knelt down to talk to Teddy.

"Buddy, this is one of those places where you can't change your hair, okay?" Harry pulled out Teddy's favourite Harpies hat and tugged it down over his godson's hair. Harry turned to Ginny. "It's better to cover his hair, because no matter how hard he tries, when he get excited, his hair changes."

"How often do you get to see Teddy?" Ginny asked. She was a little surprised with how comfortable Harry was with Teddy. Harry looked up from where he was tying Teddy's shoes.

"Oh, I don't know at least once a week. Sometimes I take him for the whole weekend and we hang out and have fun. There's a great park right down the street from my flat and he likes to play there. Plus he loves going to Harpies games with me. Right, buddy?" Harry said as he turned back to Teddy.

Teddy squealed and hugged his godfather. "Harpies?" the little boy asked excitedly.

"Not today. Fishies today." Harry laughed.

"Fishies!"

"I'm going to carry you across the street, okay?" Harry laughed again and picked Teddy up. Teddy nodded and Harry held out his hand for Ginny.

The three of them had a great time exploring the Aquarium. Teddy loved all of the brightly coloured fish while Ginny loved the sea turtles. Harry had a great time with his two favourite people in the world.

When Teddy got bored with the fish, Harry and Ginny watched him play in the play area. Ginny's heart beat faster as she watched her normally serious boyfriend laughing and playing with his two-year-old godson. Harry helped Teddy climb into and play in the ball pit, playing catch with him and cheering on Teddy's efforts. They walked out through the gift shop and as Andromeda predicted, Teddy left with a new stuffed fish and sea horse.

Ginny watched quietly as Harry carried a sleeping Teddy into his room. Andromeda was quietly shaking her head. "He spoils that boy rotten."

Ginny smiled. "Harry is so good with Teddy."

Andromeda nodded. "When Dora and Remus first told me they were making a 17 year old their baby's godfather, I thought they were crazy. But they certainly knew what they were doing. Harry makes sure that Teddy lacks for nothing. He loves that little boy."

Harry made his way back to the kitchen.

"Thanks, Andromeda for letting us take him. Will you two be coming to the Burrow for my birthday?"

Andromeda nodded. "Of course, we wouldn't miss it for the world."

Harry reached for Ginny's hand as they walked to the Apparition point. "So was that fun?"

"You are an amazing godfather, my love. I almost started crying watching the two of you play," Ginny answered.

Harry blushed slightly. "He's a great kid. I have to admit, I was scared to death at first. He was so little. I was sure Remus and Tonks were crazy to have me as godfather. But Andi's been great, teaching me how to take care of a baby and letting me spend so much time with him."

As they landed back at the Apparition point near the Burrow, Ginny leaned in and kissed him. "I love you."

Harry ran his hand through her hair. "I love you, too," he responded.

As they walked back to the house, Harry turned to Ginny.

"I know you get to do it all the time, but do you want to go flying?"

Ginny answered with a smile, "Sure, love."

_______________________________________________________________

**Wednesday, July 27, 2000**

Harry pulled his motorcycle out of the garage. Ginny had asked him to pull it out for today. She didn't say where they were going exactly, just that she wanted to take the motorcycle. The only hint she'd given him was today's word was adventurous.

Harry smiled. He had been so worried when Ginny first talked about this week, but it was rapidly becoming the best week of his life. He had never really taken the time to think about how his childhood affected his life until now. He'd let fear of embarrassment stop him from being the man he wanted to be for Ginny, but no more. He was going to show her everyday how much he treasured and appreciated her.

A knock on the garage door made him turn and he caught his breath at how beautiful she looked. Ginny was dressed in jeans and a white tank top. Her hair was pulled back into some kind of braid.

"Wow, Ginny you look great," Harry said after he started breathing again. He walked over and kissed her.

Ginny smiled up at him. "You look pretty good yourself."

Harry laughed. "So what are we doing today?"

Ginny pulled a piece of parchment out from the pocket of her jeans. "Can you find this place?"

Harry studied the address for a moment. "Yeah, I can get us there. I'm assuming we're taking the bike?"

Ginny nodded excitedly. "Yeah, today seemed like a good day for the bike."

Harry handed her a helmet and the two of them climbed on. It took almost 30 minutes to reach their destination. Harry pulled up at a shop on a quiet side street, reading the sign.

"Gin, why are we here?" Harry asked nervously. Ginny eyed him with equal nervousness.

"So we can get a tattoo."

Harry looked at her for a minute to see if she was serious. "Really, you want us to each get a tattoo?"

Ginny nodded. "I thought it would be fun. Is that okay?"

Harry leaned up against his bike while he contemplated it. "Anything I want?"

Ginny nodded again. "Anything you want."

"What are you getting?" he asked.

"I want to get a Harpies talon on my shoulder," she promptly replied. Harry nodded.

"Okay, I'll do it. I'll get a tattoo."

"So what are you going to get?" she asked.

"I'm not sure yet," Harry replied as they entered the shop.

Harry looked around as Ginny talked to the owner, Monica. She had brought a picture of the Harpies talon with her. She decided on a golden talon framed by the words Holyhead Harpies. Monica raised an eyebrow at this, but didn't ask any questions. The owner turned to Harry.

"Have you decided what you want?"

"Can you draw out a design if I describe it for you?" Harry asked.

Monica nodded and, grabbing a sheet of paper, asked, "What do you want?"

"It will be four animals grouped together. In the back a stag and doe and in front a big black dog and a wolf," Harry explained. Monica nodded and started sketching. After a few minutes she showed him the design.

"Can you make the dog a little shaggier?" he asked.

Monica made the requested changes and Harry nodded. "That's what I want."

Ginny went first and got her talon. As Monica was finishing up with Ginny, Harry turned to Ginny. "You should get your navel pierced."

"What?" she asked.

Harry pointed to the rings in the display case. "That one right there." Harry pointed to a ring with two dangling intertwined hearts. Ginny came over to look in the display case. Ginny looked up at him, surprised to see the look in his eyes as he whispered to

her. "I think that would be really sexy. And adventurous."

Ginny broke out in a big smile. "Okay, I'm game."

Monica started on Harry's tattoo while another girl pierced Ginny's navel. Ginny watched in fascination as Monica tattooed Harry's chest. She couldn't wait to run her hands over it.

Once they were outside, Harry pulled Ginny into a deep kiss tangling one hand in her hair. When Ginny pulled back, Harry said, "That was an awesome idea." He pulled her shirt up slightly so he could see the piercing. "That is so incredibly sexy."

Ginny laughed as she kissed him again. "I have to say, that tattoo you picked is amazing. It's for your parents, Sirius, and Remus, isn't it?"

Harry nodded. "I've actually been thinking about it for a while. When George got his

tattoo for Fred, I thought about getting something to…honour my family that died in the war."

"That's such a great idea, "Ginny said softly as she wrapped her arms around him.

Harry kissed her softly before he said, "I have an idea."

"You are just full of ideas for being adventurous. What do you want to do?" Ginny laughed.

"There is a new Muggle attraction called the London Eye. It's basically a huge wheel that takes you up over the city. I can't really describe it, but it looks really cool. Do you want to give it a try?" Harry asked hopefully.

Harry and Ginny were able to get tickets for later that afternoon. The two of them spent the afternoon wandering around London before boarding a capsule for their trip above London. Ginny stood almost glued to the window with Harry's arms wrapped around her.

"This is amazing," she whispered.

_____________________________________________________________________

**Thursday, July 28, 2000**

Ginny woke up Thursday morning with her shoulder and navel a little sore. She smiled when she thought of Harry's reaction to her piercing. He really liked it. She was so happy that Harry had gone along with her suggestion of working on their relationship. She hadn't imagined how fully he would embrace the idea.

Ginny had already joined George and Ron at the breakfast table when Harry arrived.

"Good morning, love," Harry said as he sat down. He gave her a quick kiss before greeting her brothers.

"So what do you lovebirds have planned for today?" George asked. Harry looked over at Ginny.

"I don't know. What are we doing today?"

Ginny flashed him a quick grin. "First we're heading to Diagon Alley, and then we're heading back to your place."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Why do you let her decide everything?"

Ginny glared at her brother, but Harry laid a hand on her arm. "I took the week off to spend with her. Why wouldn't I let her decide what we do?"

Mrs. Weasley bustled over to the table. "I'm heading down to the village. Who will be here for dinner tonight?"

George and Ron both indicated they would be home for dinner. Ginny shook her head.

"Harry and I are going out tonight."

Mrs. Weasley smiled. "Okay, dears. I'll see you later."

After Mrs. Weasley left, Ginny ran up to get changed, leaving Harry with her brothers. Harry turned to George. "So I took your advice."

George looked at him blankly for a moment. "Which piece of wonderful advice did you follow?"

"The one about honouring my family," Harry replied.

George's eyes lit up. "Let's see."

Harry laughed and pulled up his shirt. Ron and George both gasped.

"That is awesome, mate," George said as he inspected Harry's tattoo.

Ron nodded. "I like it."

With a devilish grin, George said, "Does this mean my baby sister also has a tattoo?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "You will need to ask Ginny, who is definitely not a baby, whether or not she has a tattoo." Harry smirked at George. "I will tell you that she got an incredibly sexy belly button ring."

"Eww," Ron said. "Ginny and sexy really should not be in the same sentence."

Harry smacked his best friend on the back of the head. "Why not? She is incredibly sexy."

Ginny, who had entered the kitchen, grinned at Harry's statement. "Thank you, love."

George turned to her. "So did you get a tattoo?"

Ginny turned and lifted her hair to show her brothers her tattoo. Harry walked up behind her and pressed a kiss on her tattoo while at the same time he cast a Numbing Charm. She smiled up at him. "Thanks, love."

"I like it, "George said.

_____________________________________________________________________

Harry looked around the stationary store where Ginny stood in front of a large selection of quills and different types of parchment.

"Why are we here?" Harry asked curiously.

Ginny gave him a mischievous smile. "We're getting parchment and quills."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yes, love. I realize that. My question is why?"

"I'll explain once we're back at your place," Ginny said.

Once they'd each gotten supplies, they headed back to Harry's flat. Ginny pulled Harry into his dining room and set their supplies down on the table. Ginny took a step closer to Harry and took both of his hands in hers.

"Today's word is writing."

"Writing?" Harry looked confused.

"Writing, as in letter writing." Ginny nodded.

Harry blanched. He knew he was no good at letter writing. Ginny pulled him into his living room.

"Due to our jobs, we both have to travel. I thought it would be fun to practice letter writing." She grinned at him. "You are not the most prolific letter writer."

Harry blushed. "I know. I…I never know what to say. I think about what I want to tell you, but then when I go to write it…I just…everything sounds..."

Ginny leaned over and put her hand over his mouth. "It's okay, love. Have you written many letters?"

"I'd send a few notes back and forth to Ron and Hermione during the summer during school and a few letters to Sirius, but that's really it." Harry shook his head.

"Who would write to you?" Ginny asked.

"The same people: Ron, Hermione, Sirius. I got a few letters from Remus. After my fourth year, I got very few letters because they could be intercepted," Harry replied.

Ginny looked at him curiously. "What about before Hogwarts?"

Harry looked at her blankly. "Before Hogwarts? The first letter I ever got was my Hogwarts letter."

Ginny had to look away. Reminders that he was truly an orphan usually hit her hard. She thought back to her childhood. Ginny had been forever getting and sending letters to her brothers and grandparents. She couldn't imagine never getting letters. Thinking back to her time at Hogwarts, she had gotten regular letters from Bill and Charlie. She rarely remembered Hedwig bringing Harry letters. She felt a surge of anger towards his relatives.

"Well, I guess that explains your letter writing abilities," Ginny replied. She took a deep breath. "When I write a letter, I just talk about my day or what I've been thinking about. When I was younger, I loved writing to my brothers. It was my only way of letting them know what's going on with my life."

Harry listened to Ginny a little apprehensively. He knew he wasn't a good letter writer, but he did love getting Ginny's letters. They were always fun and full of news and tales from her day. Could he really learn to write letters like that? He thought about how much Ginny's letters always brightened his day. If he could do the same for her, he would.

"Okay, so can you help me become a better letter writer?" Harry asked.

Ginny smiled. They spent the most of the afternoon writing letters back and forth. Harry's letters slowly improved over the course of the day as he learned what she was interested in and what made her laugh. Ginny's heart soared as he poured more of his heart out to her in his letters. He told her about his childhood and his hopes and dreams for the future. Harry slowly became less self-conscious about what he was writing and started enjoying himself.

She found out that he'd kept every letter she'd ever sent him. Not only did he have all the letters she'd written during her last year at Hogwarts and all the letters she's written during the past year, but he also had the letter she'd written to him after Sirius died and the embarrassing get-well card she'd given him during his 3rd year.

"What are we doing for dinner, love?" Harry asked. "You told your mum we were going out."

"I don't know. I thought we could go out to eat," Ginny replied.

Harry smiled. "Great. How about we order a pizza and watch a movie? Hermione told me about this movie that I think you will like. It's called Ever After. It's a Muggle fairy tale."

"That sounds good," Ginny replied, intrigued. When Harry and Hermione had tried to explain Muggle fairy tales, she had been fascinated by the differences between magical and Muggle fairy tales.

____________________________________________________________________

**Friday, July 29, 2000**

George looked up at the knock on his office door. He smiled when he saw Harry bringing in coffee and muffins. George and Harry had always gotten along well, but after Fred's death the two of them had become quite close. Harry had gotten into the habit of stopping by with breakfast once or twice a week.

"Harry!" George greeted him. He made a show of looking around. "Someone seems to be missing."

Harry laughed as he set the food down on George's desk. "I'm meeting her in a bit. I went to the gym at the Ministry this morning and she had something to do."

George nodded as he grabbed his coffee and favourite pumpkin muffin. "So do you know what we're doing for your birthday yet?" he asked Harry.

Harry shook his head. "Not really. I know your mum is planning a party. Andi and Teddy are coming over, but I don't really know many details."

George laughed. "Sometimes it's just easier that way. So what do you want for your birthday?"

Harry looked over at his friend. "Can you keep a secret?"

George nodded, surprised at Harry's serious tone. Harry pulled a small box out from his pocket.

"I just picked this up. The only thing I really want for my birthday is this on your sister's finger."

Harry slid the box across to George, who opened it.

"Wow." George gazed down at the diamond and emerald ring. "She's going to love it, Harry."

Harry slid the box back in his pocket. "I hope so."

It was close to 11 am before Ginny showed up at Harry's flat. He smiled as she came into the kitchen. "I was getting worried about you, love."

"Sorry, I had some things to do this morning," Ginny replied. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "Today's word is shopping."

"Shopping?" he repeated. Inwardly he groaned. Shopping was not one of his favourite activities.

"I know you don't really like shopping, but you need to get new clothes," Ginny said as she ran her hand up his arm. "I thought I could help you pick out a new wardrobe."

Harry made a face before responding, "Can we each get a new wardrobe?"

Ginny hesitated. "Harry, I can't afford a new wardrobe, but I do need a few things."

Harry nodded. He could deal with that. Ginny smiled. "Great! I went to see Bill this morning. He gave me this card…I can't remember what he called it, but you can use it in the Muggle world to pay for things and it comes out of your Gringotts account."

Harry reached out for the card. "Oh, like a debit card." He sighed. "Okay, so where are we going?"

Ginny laughed before responding, "Sweetie, it won't be so bad. I talked to Hermione. She gave me some ideas of places to go." She studied his face. "If you really don't want to go…"

"I'm sorry," Harry said as he pulled her into his arms. "I just…I've always hated going shopping for clothes." He looked down into her eyes. He could see how much she really wanted to do this. "Maybe I've just been shopping with the wrong people," he offered.

Ginny's smile lit up her face. "Thank you, love. It will be fun."

Harry somehow doubted that, but he was willing to give it a try for Ginny.

Ginny entered the store and looked around. It was amazing. She'd never seen anything like it before. Looking around, she pulled Harry over to the men's section.

"So what are we getting?" Harry asked as he looked around.

"Everything."

"May I help you?" Ginny turned to see an older woman standing there.

"My boyfriend needs a new wardrobe," Ginny answered, gesturing towards Harry.

"Great. My name is Sarah. I'll be happy to help," the woman responded. Sarah turned to Harry. "What size do you wear?"

Harry looked helplessly at Ginny. "I don't know."

"I think I can help." Sarah smiled at him.

By mid-afternoon, Ginny was satisfied with Harry's new wardrobe. Harry had to admit shopping with Ginny was much more fun than he'd ever had shopping before. She made it fun.

Harry and Ginny ducked into a secluded corner and Harry sent all of the packages back to his flat. With a wicked grin at Ginny, Harry leaned in and stole a kiss before he said, "Okay, now it's your turn."

"Okay. Let's go." Ginny laughed.

Harry had a great time convincing Ginny she need several shirts, tank tops and jeans. "I'm fine, Harry," Ginny said laughing. "I'm done. I don't need anything else."

As they walked towards the register, Harry saw a selection of summer sun dresses.

"Gin," Harry reached out touched her arm. "How about a new dress?"

Ginny looked over at the rack. "I don't know, Harry. I really don't need a new dress."

Harry wrapped his arms around her and whispered into her ear, "I was thinking tomorrow we could go out to dinner. We could go someplace nice and you could wear your new dress."

Ginny laughed up at him. "Okay, you convinced me."

Harry watched as Ginny came out and modeled the dresses for him, thinking he loved shopping.

_____________________________________________________________________

**Saturday, July 30, 2000**

"Have you ever travelled some place and wished you could share it with me?" Ginny asked over breakfast.

"Venice," Harry answered promptly. "I was there a few months ago and I kept thinking how much you would like it."

"Okay, that's where we are going today. The word for today is travel. I know we both travel for work a lot, but I wanted us to travel together."

Harry smiled. This could work perfectly with his plans.

Ginny and Harry walked hand in hand around Piazza San Marco. She listened with interest as Harry told her about the case that had brought him here. They sat down to eat after spending the morning exploring St. Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace.

"What made you think of me while you were here?" Ginny asked Harry curiously.

Harry laughed a little self-consciously. "I always think of you when I travel. I'll usually see something that will remind me of you or something I want to tell you about. I always get you something when I travel because…I…I miss you when I'm gone."

Ginny leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "You are so sweet."

"Do you think about me when you travel?" Harry blushed slightly.

"Yeah," Ginny said. "I miss you when I travel. I wish you could come to more of my games. I love going out with the team after the games and celebrating, but I wish you were there as well."

"I always thought I'd be in the way," Harry said softly. "I know a lot of the other girls don't have serious boyfriends…I don't want you to miss out of something because of me."

Ginny reached over and put her hand on his cheek. "Love, I have everything I want in you. Yes, most of the girls don't have a serious boyfriend, but I don't think I'm missing out on anything because of our relationship. I have fun going out with them after the games, but they are more than welcome to the guys trying to pick us up. Why would I want that, when I have you?"

Harry smiled and kissed the hand she'd put on his cheek. "Would you mind if I came to some of your away games? I…I've always wanted to. I love watching you play."

"Really, you'd want to come?" Ginny asked breathlessly.

"I'd love to come to all of your games. I've snuck into some of them…you know disguised. I hate when they spot me at one of your games...they make it all about me, instead of all about you like they should," Harry told her.

"You've come to my games?" Ginny's eyes glittered with tears.

Harry nodded. "I went to your games against Portree and the Tornados. You are such an amazing player."

Ginny threw her arms around him. "I thought you didn't like coming to my games. You've only come with the family."

A horrified look crossed Harry's face. "No, I love coming to your games. It's just not that many people know about us and…I'm never sure…I don't want you to get caught up in the stupid press around me." Harry kissed her softly. "I love you and I am so proud of you. If you don't mind the press, I'll come to all of your games. I'll let the whole world know how wonderful you are and how much I love you."

"I'd like that." Ginny smiled.

As the sun started to set, Harry turned to Ginny. "We can't leave Venice without a gondola ride."

Harry and Ginny laughed and flirted their way through the ride. After the ride, Harry said, "Are you ready for dinner now?"

Ginny nodded. "Where are we going?"

Harry shook his head. "That's a surprise."

He Apparated them back to his flat where they quickly changed for dinner. Harry was waiting in the living room when Ginny came out of the guest room in her new dress. He opened his mouth to say something, but found he couldn't. Clearing his throat, he tried again.

"Gin, you look beautiful."

Ginny smiled as she looked at him. "You look amazing."

Harry blushed slightly, but leaned down to kiss her. His simple kiss soon turned into a much longer, more passionate kiss. Harry pulled back and smiled down at her. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Ginny whispered as she kissed him again.

A while later Ginny, who had somehow ended up on Harry's lap on the couch, pulled away slightly. "Love, I hate to ruin the mood, but I'm hungry."

Harry ran his fingers through her hair one last time. "Me too, but I don't really want to go out anymore."

"I don't either. Can we stay in and go out another night?" Ginny laughed as she stood up.

"As long as I have food, that's a plan." Harry kissed her as he joined her standing.

After a simple meal of steak and salad, Harry and Ginny sat on his balcony enjoying the view and each other's company. Ginny smiled as she heard the chimes declaring it was midnight.

"Happy birthday, my love."

Harry smiled over at her and took a deep breath. "Thank you. You know how everyone's been asking me all week what I wanted for my birthday?"

Ginny nodded. "Yes and you won't say anything."

Harry laughed nervously. "There is only one thing I want for my birthday."

"What?" Ginny asked curiously.

"You," Harry responded. "Ginny, this has been the most amazing week of my life. I was really nervous about this week, but it…it's been incredible. Every time I thought I couldn't fall more in love with you, I did. You are completely amazing. You are smart and funny. You don't put up with crap from anyone including me. You are a very powerful witch and I love watching you fly. This past week has made me realize that I need you in my life. You help me not take everything so seriously and make every day an adventure. Ginny, will you marry me?"

Ginny watched in astonishment as Harry dropped to one knee and held out a box. Ginny reached out with shaking hands to pick up the beautiful ring Harry had picked for her. She looked into Harry's eyes as he stood up and gathered her into his arms.

"Yes, I will marry you."

As Ginny lay down to sleep, much later that night, she smiled to herself as she watched her ring sparkle in the moonlight. She had never imagined when she first suggested to Harry that they spend this week together how well it would go or that they would end up engaged. It turned out that Harry could be quite romantic; he just needed a little push in the right direction.

**A/N Thanks to my wonderful beta Jennyelf and a special thanks to DukeByrim and Zolton42 for their comments!**


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